MBTA officials painted a dark picture Tuesday of the T’s future if no funding increase arrives from the state, outlining cost-saving measures that could dramatically decrease service, increase fares, and fundamentally change the size and scope of the public transit service.
Facing a projected deficit of $130 million for fiscal 2014, Charles Planck, director of strategic initiatives for the MBTA, presented the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s finance committee with options for how the T could balance its budget, which is due by April 15.
Comments
if you cant afford to pay for the subway try walking.
“It is what it is. There are consequences of inaction,” Scott said. “We’re just doing what we need to do … this is where we find ourselves.”
Total and complete dysfunction. No planning, no forethought, poor execution, lousy lousy results. And everyone who lives in and cares about this city, and relies on public transportation will SUFFER SUFFER SUFFER. Needlessly and senselessly. This has got to be the worst major American city to live in if the measure is civic virtue and civic pride.
Our tax dollars go to keep the roads repaired, they should also go to maintain and support the MBTA. Here's hoping the legislature has some sense and stands behind Gov. Patrick's proposal.
Here we area again....... How many employees? How much for health insurance for active and retirees? How much for pensions? The debt service is what? This monster will continue to grow and grow and grow.
Back into the bucket, crab.
When we get skilled employees willing to live like cockroaches, all problems will be solved,
Certainly more funding is needed. The mismanagement of the T over many decades has led us to where we are, where the T will ask for yet another huge fare increase in the space of 9 months, after going years without one. The fact is more funding is need to upgrade the system and close the gap.
But my concern is we're being asked to pay more for something that is getting worse. I'm willing to pay more for better service. But it sounds like we'll be paying a lot more for the same lousy service we already get.
Does anyone take the Orange Line during rush hour? It's a horror show. Slow, overcrowded trains come too rarely, leaving dozens of people waiting on platforms for the next one in hopes that maybe it will be by soon. It never does.
Finally, it is time to discuss a dramatic change to the Carmen's Union's lucrative pay and benefits. We should all have is as good as those folks do. Their jobs are important and many of them do an excellent job, but they are overpaid for their work and the benefits are off-the-charts.
Why do so few people remember that one of the biggest problems with the T's finances is the unfunded pieces of the BIG DIG?
This comment has been removed.
This comment has been removed.
The MBTA continues to bleed money, so they ask for more funding. Next year they will have more problems and ask for more money....etc...etc....
I know someone who worked for the MBTA....retired at 51. This is what we're paying for. Sweetheart deals, nice pensions....I want to retire at 51 also with a nice deal like that......Oh yeh, I forgot....I live in the REAL world.
Declare bankruptcy and then renegotiate all the pensions, salaries and healthcare of the employees and pensioners. Theses guys have the best retirement in the world paid for by the citizens of MA.
The consolidation of MassDOT with MBTA and other agencies was supposed to bring about efficiency that would have saved about 700 positions or $58,000,000 per year in wages and fringe benefits. This NEVER happened ! There are more employees with the "consolidation", (wink, wink). The MassDOT Board, Governor and Mass Taxpayers failed us. They have no ability to read financial or statistical reports and realize that no savings from this merger ever resulted. The MBTA pays 2.6 times the contribution that an MBTA employee pays for retirement. Employee pays about 5% and the MBTA pays 10.7%. The MBTA also pays social security of about 7% on every dollar so you have about an 18% retirement contribution on every wage dollar spent at MBTA.How many private companies contribute this much. Unions are in negotiations and will get a big award and then next year the MBTA will need another $150,000,000 to close the budget gap and another the year after that. You will be paying through the nose for the rest of your life for the past 2 decades of fiscal mismanagement. I just love it when my neighbor, an MBTA bus driver, picks me up in his new Audi A8 as I'm walking to the bus stop.
It is no secret that Patrick is Mr. Lack of Efficiency and Commonsense. The poor man is quite clueless about financial issues, and no doubt is searching for new wall-paper for his office.
If you had joined a union instead of blowing off pension planning you wouldn't be so bitter today. Misery loves company.
I consider myself as a democrat, and I used to fall into the trap of "if they need more money, just raise taxes". Well no more...because they will always need more money, and taxes will continue to go up. I'm tired of these "buddy buddy deals thrown about in federal, state and local gov't. And as someone stated earlier, spread fear about the cuts if taxes are not raised. It is time these agencies manage their business, and be fiscally responsible. Bottom line: we "all" want everything and want to pay for nothing....sounds good, but it is not reality.
It makes sense - we need to increase fares substantially to increase the level mismanagment, luxurious benetits and pensions, fraud, waste, and abuse. what part of this don't we understand?
I'm going to have to retire because I won't be able to afford my commuter pass!
Considering the MBTA financial problems_does it make any sense that the MBTA hired Beverly Scott, as their new General Manager knowing she received a failing grade for planning and bugetary knowledge in her former position running the Atlanta Transit?
Disgusting isn't it? Deval just keeps hiring these people who don't have the background or even worse, like Beverly Scott, were given bad marks in their previous positions and they all make BIG Bucks. He should never have been re-elected. I give him a D- as governor. Kumbaya.